The Passenger Play video feature available in most Tesla cars has caught the attention of regulators at the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration.
"The federal government’s main auto safety regulator said on Wednesday that it had opened an investigation into a feature in Teslas that allows drivers to play games on a dashboard touch screen while the car is in motion," reports Neal E. Boudette for The New York Times.
The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened the investigation into the Passenger Play video feature available for most Tesla cars.
The news about the pending investigation is the latest in string of criticisms about safety practices at Tesla. The Los Angeles Editorial Board earlier this week called out the company for pushing ahead with self-driving technology outside of the regulatory structure of the federal government. The NHTSA had already opened an investigation into the company's autopilot feature in August.
The NHTSA's investigation into the Passenger Play video feature "suggests that it is taking a more aggressive stand after years of doing little to look into what many safety experts characterize as glaring flaws and gaps in Tesla’s approach," according to Boudette.
A separate article by Boudette for The New York Times published earlier this month reported on the potential of the Passenger Play video feature to distract drivers.
FULL STORY: U.S. Is Investigating Tesla Feature That Lets Drivers Play Video Games
Tesla Reverses on Video Games for Drivers
Tesla's rollout of video games that can be played by drivers on the center consoles of the automakers cars has quickly turned into a recall.
IIHS: Drivers Using ‘Autonomous’ Features More Likely to Be Distracted
Despite warnings that drivers should remain attentive, people behind the wheel of cars equipped with ‘autonomous’ assistance often take their eyes off the road.
Federal Regulators Ask Tesla for Robotaxi Details Ahead of Planned Launch
Tesla CEO Elon Musk says the company will launch self-driving taxis in Austin in June and other U.S. cities by the end of the year.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning
SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.
The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs
The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.
Even Edmonton Wants Single Staircase Buildings
Canada's second most affordable major city joins those angling to nix the requirement for two staircases in multi-family buildings.
Duffy Threatens to Cut DOT Funds to “Sanctuary Cities”
“Follow the law or forfeit the funding” says US Secretary of Transportation.
Trump Approves Futuristic Automated Texas-Mexico Cargo Corridor
The project could remove tens of thousands of commercial trucks from roadways.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)